Search

Quality nutritional goods aren’t as readily available to the urban poor. The supermarket distribution chain encounters too many obstacles within the city to be successful in providing goods at prices as effectively as its suburban counterparts. Urban poor households struggle to maintain their food budgets. Residents of these neighborhoods are often aware of the implications of a poor diet, but aren’t confident enough in their knowledge of nutrition to correct it. Because of this, many of them are overweight, in poor health, and believe they’re powerless to change. The functions of the urban supermarket must evolve to meet these nutritional and economic needs. The architecture also needs to evolve to reflect these changes while serving as an icon for the community. The “big-box” structure isn’t an inviting place to make smart healthy choices. The rejection of this mentality must be reflected in the architecture or its differentiation will be lost.